The Senior Council is the ruling body of the White Council. In theory the Senior Council is comprised of seven of the oldest wizards in the White Council. When a member dies the next several eldest members of the White Council are put forth as candidates and one is selected to join.[1]

In practice this tenet is not always held to. Gregori Cristos was selected as replacement to the deceased Aleron LaFortier even though it is implied he is far from the appropriate age to be normally considered. This selection implies that political skill and personal connections among the White Council might also be an important and unwritten requirement.

The Merlin is the leader of the Senior Council.[2] When members of the Senior Council are absent without declaring a proxy, the Merlin is endowed with their votes.[3] The position is named after the wizard who founded the Council.[4]

The Gatekeeper is a position in the White Council. The Gatekeeper's job is to scan warriors returning through the Outer Gates for infection with Nemesis or other influences. In this position, he works closely with the Faerie. The details of the position are not widely known in the Council; most consider the Outer Gates a metaphor.[5]

This article section is for the Blackstaff position. For the physical object, see Blackstaff.

The Blackstaff is an unofficial position in the White Council.

Not a ranking in the Senior Council, nor an official position within the White Council, the Blackstaff is the sole person who can violate at his own judgement any of the Laws of Magic without retribution. The Blackstaff is also the keeper and wielder of a special staff, the Blackstaff, after which the position is named.

The position is currently held by Ebenezar McCoy, who has held it since before his appointment to the Senior Council.[6] One such example of this is how McCoy used his magic to bring a decommissioned U.S.S.R. Communications satellite down on Duke Ortega's castle in Honduras, killing not only Red Court vampires, but also mortal villagers.[7]

The White Council has existed in one form or another since pre-Roman times.[4]

Its headquarters have been moved several times. Among its place of location have been Alexandria, Carthage, Rome, the Vatican in the early days of the Christian Church, Constantinople and Madrid. Since the end of the Middle Ages, for a little under five hundred years, the White Council's headquarters have been the Hidden Halls of Edinburgh; the complex is located beneath the city, with its main part occupying the space under Castle Edinburgh.[4]

The Old School of Wizardry originated from the Old World—Western Europe—and maintains an attitude of: "maintain secrecy and don't attract attention".[6]

Mind Magic Defense Training: Every wizard receives training in defence against mental assaults, though scant at best. Following the Laws of Magic, the Wardens kill whoever they catch practicing mind magic. They believe that there is no such thing as an expert in mind magic: Psychomancy. The Defense Training is devised by amateurs.[8] After Samuel Peabody had mind-controlled most of the Senior Council and many of the Wardens and other Council members, the White Council institutes better defense training.[9]

Necronomicon: intended purpose was to make certain the ritual in question isn't going to work due to supply and demand. If too many people use a rite, such as in Necromancy, then that depletes the source of energy needed to make it work.[11]

During the Conclave, Ebenezar McCoy got around the Merlin and was voted into the Senior Council, replacing Simon Pietrovich.[6] Duke Paolo Ortega wrote, wanting Dresden extradited for trial by the Red Court as a criminal. The Merlin, along with Aleron LaFortier and Ancient Mai, tried to hang the full weight of The War on Harry Dresden's shoulders and tried to strip Harry of his status as a Council wizard. If succesful, they could ship him to Ortega. Ebenezar got the vote restricted to the Senior Council, which was split, three to three. It came down to Rashid, the Gatekeeper, who voted to have Harry pass a test by fulfulling the Winter Queen's request and thereby securing safe passage through the Ways through the Nevernever for the White Council in The War.[12]

In Dead Beat, Harry decides to wait to call the Council about the Heirs of Kemmler because: 1: Marvra is holding something over Murphy if Dresden Calls for help, 2: The Council doesn't like Harry and probably wouldn't come, and 3: they're busy with The War.[13] Corpsetaker nearly kills Harry with some powerful Psychomancy because of the rudimentary mind defense training the Council still uses even after a century.[8] Harry Calls the Council for help because he's way out of his league with the necromancers and Captain Anastasia Luccio answers the phone herself.[14] Luccio brings some Wardens to a meeting at McAnally's Pub: Donald Morgan, Carlos Ramirez, and two trainees in brown robes Yoshimo and Kowalski. Luccio enlists Harry into the Wardens because the The War is going badly—They've just lost about three-quarters of their Wardens. She and morgan tell Harry about the latest battles.

In Proven Guilty, there is a small trial held to condemn and execute a warlock. The Merlin chose Chicago to send a message to Harry to toe the line.[15] At the end, there was another warlock trial for Molly Carpenter. She was eventually freed and made Harry's apprentice under the Doom of Damocles.[16] At the end of Proven Guilty, the Council holds a trial for Molly Carpenter charging her with being a Warlock. She is nearly executed just because the Merlin doesn't like Harry, until her father, Michael Carpenter enters with several Senior Council members he just saved in a battle in the War.

In Ghost Story, with the Red Court vanquished, they have been very busy chasing down supernatural threats all over. They consider Molly Carpenter to be a criminal now that Harry Dresden is dead—the Wardens are hunting her to pass sentence on her—though Carlos Ramirez hasn't been trying that hard to find her.[17]

In Cold Days, they are busy fighting the Fomor. The word is that they are operating around the coasts of Europe, especially the Mediterranean. Lara's operation shares some information with them and they too. but they are not an alliance. In the US, Carlos Ramirez had been hurt real bad the previous year, he's not back in action yet.Warden Bill Meyers in Texas is giving the Fomor hell. The Wardens in Baltimore and San Diego are holding their own.[18]